Ospreys and Scarlets have accused the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) of making a U-turn after the governing body announced it will move away from a model of four evenly funded professional sides.

WRU bosses say they now intend to implement a new two-tier funding system a decision which Ospreys and Scarlets say has “created more destabilising and debilitating uncertainty in our game”.

Ospreys and Scarlets did not sign up to Welsh rugby’s new Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA) by the deadline of 8 May.

The agreement was signed by Dragons and Cardiff, who were last month taken over by the WRU having served formal notification that they intended to enter administration.

Last week Ospreys and Scarlets said they had asked the WRU for assurances that the takeover “will not disproportionally benefit Cardiff and disadvantage the independent clubs”.

After Ospreys and Scarlets had not signed, WRU have served a two-year notice on the current agreement that underpins the Welsh professional game.

That current PRA runs out in 2027 although it was due to be superseded by the new five-year deal.

On Sunday, the WRU released a statement saying that with those clubs not signing by the deadline set, it had therefore taken the “difficult but necessary decision to issue the formal two-year notice to terminate the current PRA agreement in order, in particular, to proceed with its debt refinancing.”

The governing body made the announcement amid reports it intends to cut a team from its professional tier.

The WRU has neither confirmed nor denied if cutting a team is part of its plans.